Setting retail and wholesale prices

In the past, I wholesaled to galleries via wholesalecrafts.com. I
left there to pursue retail on Etsy. I know that many people double
their wholesale prices to get a retail price. I don’t feel entirely
comfortable doing that because I don’t have a brick-and-mortar store
to maintain, and my overhead costs are quite low. So my Etsy prices
are on the low end of retail (they are double wholesale, minus 20%).

So here’s the question: If I decide to wholesale again, how should I
handlemy Etsy prices? I can’t just halve them. Should I change my
Etsy prices back to double wholesale?

I hope I don’t set off a firestorm of controversy here, but I look
forward to your responses. – Barbara

Barbara Lee
Gemella Contemporary Jewelry
www.gemella.biz
www.gemellajewelry.etsy.com

Nowadays, most of my retailers more than keystone price. Most are
2.2-2.5x wholesale. Many won’t buy if they find the artist’s work on
their own website or Etsy where retail is less than or even equal to
double wholesale.

In addition to what I hear at BMAC and ACRE, I’m a juror for
wholesalecrafts.com and see lots of comments from the retailers that
they won’t look at work that is sold retail online unless it is more
than what they charge with shipping. They say that they tire of
buyers coming in to try work on and then buy direct from the artist
for less.

(Off topic: Hi, Katie.)

Nancy Goodenough

Hi Nancy!
(we met at BMAC in Feb. 2007)

So you are saying that no matter what, I need to raise my Etsy
prices, period. And to more than keystone – preferably 2.5 plus
shipping, right?

Thanks for the insight. That helped.

Barbara
Barbara Lee
Gemella Contemporary Jewelry
www.gemella.biz
www.gemellajewelry.etsy.com

So you are saying that no matter what, I need to raise my Etsy
prices, period. And to *more* than keystone -- preferably 2.5 plus
shipping, right? 

Barbara, I thought that was you.

Of course, it is your choice about pricing. I can just tell you that
many retailers won’t buy from artists that sell on their own
websites or sites like Etsy unless the prices are higher than what
they charge. Wendy Rosen has emphasized this as well.

Thoughts from others?

Nancy Goodenough